Blog Post #3
Exploring Michael Wesch’s Lecture
After reflecting on our lecture and the YouTube lecture by Michael Wesch while thinking about our changed world and the new culture of participation, I found a significant change between now and the future we are pushing towards. Michael Wesch discusses how certain social media apps are becoming more popular, and when I think about that and my future classroom. I think it means I need to shift myself into using more technology and online resources to help support my students, especially when technology is a huge part of the new culture of participation. I have been addicted to TikTok since the app came out, and since I have been doing my internships, the app has actually been very resourceful for me about other teachers. So, when I think about my future classroom, incorporating these kinds of apps will be beneficial only if they are used properly. I believe schools in general can create more flexible learning environments for students, which means integrating technology and having adaptable spaces for students who need it.
We can rethink the idea of school and education in a networked, participatory, and digital world by switching the methods/pedagogies we use within our classrooms if educators move towards project-based learning where students are able to focus on real-world problems and foster creativity and collaboration, as well as critical thinking. We as educators also need to put an emphasis on promoting technology within our classroom community, for example using laptops to help with the learning process. If we want to think about education in a digital world, incorporating more technology-based education within the classroom is a start. I feel after listening to both lectures, we can balance the challenges by making sure students understand online safety, and they are understanding their code of ethics when using technology for educational purposes. I also feel that if we are constantly providing support as teachers, using technology will be more beneficial for the students than not.
Hi Maddie,
I think about it often how technology and social media will impact our world over the years. I could imagine how our world looks so different from fifty years ago, it will be the same in fifty years again. The children we work with will have a completely different world than what we had. I am 25 and remember sitting in the basement in a bean bag watching VHS tapes on a 30-inch screen, with about 30 more inches behind it holding all the wiring. Most kids today have never even used cable television, let alone VHS tapes. The world is changing rapidly and I always worry how I (and everybody else my age) will adapt.